The closures of Harmony developer Firewalk Studios and cell dev Neon Koi have attracted intense criticism from a labor union in North America. In a relatively weird assertion, the Communication Employees of America (CWA) implied that Sony is strengthening its monopoly by buying and shutting down studios. Yeah, we don’t perceive that one both.
CWA’s assertion on closure of Harmony dev Firewalk and cell dev Neon Koi
I’m having a tough time placing CWA’s assertion in my very own phrases, thanks largely to the truth that it merely is mindless. The quote, as shared by Recreation Developer, is as follows:
Sony’s resolution to dissolve studios outdoors their walled-garden of PlayStation-exclusive content material, relatively than making video games that must compete within the extremely various and aggressive cell recreation market, must be a cautionary warning signal of Sony’s pursuits in furthering their monopoly place within the online game trade.
If I’m studying this proper, the closure of Neon Koi (which didn’t launch any recreation below Sony) is being taken as a transfer to eliminate studios that don’t make PlayStation unique content material, and CWA thinks that Sony didn’t even have any plans to compete within the cell recreation market?
The union added that it “plans to lift the anti-competitive impacts of Sony’s rising monopoly and monopsony energy with the suitable antitrust regulators, policymakers, and stakeholders.”
Whereas our ideas exit to these affected by the closures, I’m undecided how Sony chopping its losses has been translated to “furthering their monopoly” on this case. However the CWA isn’t any stranger to creating weird claims, just like the time it advocated for the acquisition of Activision Blizzard, arguing that it will safe jobs.